Last April, I turned 14.
14 years old.
A slightly strange age when you think about it.
In-between. Not quite the beginning, not quite maturity either.
14 years since I launched the very first culinary blog of Côte d’Ivoire, without knowing it would completely reshape my life.
And when I look back, I don’t see a perfectly crafted plan.
I see movement.
Instinct.
A lot of figuring things out along the way.
When I started, there was no real framework.
Talking about Ivorian gastronomy, highlighting restaurants, telling our own food stories… it all felt new. Almost unfamiliar.
I still remember those early days in April 2012.
A few articles. Some photos. A list of addresses shared instinctively, just following what felt right.
I wasn’t expecting much.
And definitely not perfection.
But step by step, things started to shift. Quietly.
In 2017, Abidjan Restaurant Week came naturally.
The idea of creating a moment.
Getting people to step out, try something new, rediscover their own city through food.
Then came Abidjan Cocktail Week in 2023.
A different rhythm.
New players.
A new way of telling the story of a scene that was evolving in real time.
And by simply moving forward, by not waiting, by doing… things started to take shape.
Brands. Partnerships. Conversations with institutions.
And a voice that slowly found its place around African gastronomy.
None of it was planned like this.
Of course, there were doubts. Many.
Moments where things felt slow. Too slow.
And others where the only option was to keep going, even without clarity.
But one thing stayed constant.
I didn’t wait.
Not to feel ready.
Not to feel legitimate.
Not for validation.
And definitely not for the market to catch up.
And maybe that’s what these 14 years really represent.
Not a perfect success story.
But a series of decisions made in motion.
Today, when I talk about building an ecosystem, it’s real. I can see it.
Restaurants gaining visibility.
Local brands finding their voice and their space.
And a community that is more curious, more intentional, more connected to the richness of its own food culture.
14 years later, I’m proud as simple as it is ! As simple as it sounds !
Proud to pause and take it all in.
Proud of the growth—even the kind you don’t immediately see.
Proud of the journey.
And most of all, proud that I was not waiting, never did – never will !
#NotWaiting
